 I want to share with you a couple of verses that I'm sure you're familiar with in your Bibles. Please turn to Isaiah 9, 6, and 7. Maybe we'll take a little different look at these verses and I hope it helps and encourages you greatly. It's a great, amazing prophecy written by Isaiah 720 years before Jesus was born. It's all about the Messiah and who He is and will be. It says, for unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, of the increase of His government and of peace. There will be no end upon the throne of David and over His kingdom to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal, the passionate desire of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. Dear God, we just thank you because obviously you have given this child who was born, this Son, the very Son of God as a gift to the world. God was so grateful. Lord, maybe some don't know Him in these ways that you want them to know Him. Lord, you are the perfect governor and leader of our lives as well as the rescue, rescue of our souls, the Savior and Lord. So we invite your spirit to speak to us now in your precious name, amen. I love that first part that says unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government, the government will be upon His shoulders. I love that. You know, when I was a student in high school, we studied the Roman and Greek mythological gods, and I was fascinated by it. My favorite mythological god was Atlas, the Titan God, you know, because he was always holding up the world, right, and you would see they would show art, sculptors and paintings and things, and he was holding up the world, he was holding up the world, and the thing that I was really drawn to was he was hugely muscular, which you get a big work out when you're lifting the world, you know, and his pectoral muscles and his triceps and biceps, they were so huge in his deltoids, and he was just like this, and I was thinking, you know, I want to be like that, and it's never happened, but here's the thing. We can't carry the world. Sometimes you hear people say, don't bear the burdens of the world on your heart, your mind, but that's what we're doing a lot of times. We're trying to carry all these burdens, and you know, life has a lot of burdens. Like I was saying earlier, our families many times have burdens, and there's so much anxiety and fear in this world, so much worry, and sometimes it is exacerbated when you have great expectation at Christmas, and so it can become even worse, it's actually a time when mental illness increases greatly because of the expectations and the challenges that there are, but we as people were not meant to bear this burden, that God gave us this great Savior, this Lord, this Messiah, the Savior of the world, and he's the one that carries the world and the burdens on his shoulders. He's the one that came with God's government, the kingdom, he's the king, he's the king in the kingdom, and wherever he went he said the kingdom of God is at hand, it's here because the king was there. We have a tendency in our nation to think that government is the solution to the problems. We think you know we've got all these problems, we've got economic problems, oh I hope Trump can solve it, you know and others are saying oh I hope Hillary can solve it, well maybe it'll get better, maybe it won't, I don't know, we've had a lot of presidents, things have gone up and down and there's this and there's that, and once one solves some problems they create many more and then the next guy comes to solve those, so humans can't solve all the problems but there's not just economic, there's racial problems, you know there's drug problems, there's broken homes, there's all these things and sometimes we think the government, the politicians are the answer but has a democrat or a republican come along and solved it all? No, and things don't change a super lot. Now I think it's a great thing to be responsible as a citizen and vote and seek out the best candidates, I think that's great. I mean you guys had someone with a lot of muscles, Schwarzenegger for a while, right? Was he able to solve all California's problems? No, and again I'm not putting down politicians, I'm just saying God has sent a governor, God has sent Jesus, do you know ultimately his kingdom will come, we pray for that, it may be sooner than we think, we may be caught up to be with him but even if we're not guess what, he wants to take the throne of your heart because number one he's the king of hearts, he wants to rule in your heart, he wants the peace of God to rule in your heart and that's why it tells us in Philippians 4-6 be anxious for nothing but in everything that your request be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus, in the rule under the care of Christ Jesus. You know I love that command, worry about nothing, I love that, do you know that God doesn't want you to worry about anything, think of that he wants you worry free, how many are worry free today, yeah I didn't think there were many but yet that's a command, be anxious, worry about nothing, now the only way that you can worry about nothing is if you obey the next command, pray in everything, those commands go hand in hand, you can only worry about nothing if you're casting all your worries on him, which Peter told us to do right, cast all your worries, all your cares, all your anxieties, pray in everything, everything like when you're brushing your teeth, pray mundane things, you know I mow the lawn at our house and that's a time when like my brain doesn't really have to do or think so I think about a lot of things and when I'm mowing the lawn I think about people that I can't stand you know and I'm a pastor so that that is just not a good attitude or behavior at all but I noticed that was happening and and and the Lord spoke to me one day and he said didn't I say pray about everything and pray in everything I don't like your attitude when you mow the lawn because you're thinking all these bad thoughts I want you praying and talking to me and if a bad thought or something comes into people's mind your mind about people because maybe they've hurt you or said or done or whatever I want you praying for them I want you praying for them I didn't bring them into your mind for you to criticize but for you to lift them up have you ever thought they might have some serious problems and you're called to help and the first thing is right anyway the whole point being that I now I don't even worry when I mow the lawn I love it and I don't get bitter and I don't have hatred anymore now I mow the lawn with love so awesome it's it's lifted my heart I just love it so pray in everything prayer remember isn't just for one time of the day it's for any and all times of the day talking to God giving it to the Lord his rule and his kingdom in your life will grow more and more it will increase it says we just read that and it'll have no end no end it's eternal that's the beauty of the kingdom of God isn't it it's eternal now these names for Jesus wonderful counselor mighty God everlasting father prince of peace all of these are areas in our life that we really need and they are part of his government let's start out with the first one wonderful now sometimes people say he's a wonderful counselor and he is a wonderful counselor but that's the next one wonderful actually in Hebrews is a noun it's not an adjective he's not saying wonderful counselor what he's saying is he works wonders he's full of wonders that's what that word means he's a miracle man and the wonders that he does the greatest wonders that Jesus Christ does are the wonders he does in transforming our lives and that's what we've been you know your great worship leader Amy and Dan have been talking about that transforming power he wants to do wondrous things in your life no matter what it is he has this incredible power you see God is not only amazingly compassionate and caring and kind and merciful and all of those things he just happens to be omnipotent all powerful he he's omniscient he has all wisdom and he's omnipresent so no matter where you're at he's there and he's been there before you got there even if it's way down low in some place he's there like like David said in one of the Psalms if I go you know to the deepest sea he's there if I go to the highest place he's there if I you know any place I go he's there God's there and he's powerfully wanting to do work in your life there's no circumstance or difficulty or challenge or trial or temptation that hasn't come along where he doesn't want to show himself sufficient for you every single thing that comes into your life I'm convinced and persuaded that he wants to show you his love and his care over your life Paul that's why Paul became persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor highs nor lows nor things present or things to come nor any other created thing he listed all these things because they were part of the things that he was facing regularly he said who will separate me from the love of Christ shell tribulation or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword what were those things that was his biography in the end he died with the sword his head was chopped off but he became persuaded in all those things that nothing could separate him from the love of Jesus because it was always there even when like he started with death can't separate us even when he may have faced death real death because if you study Paul's life and you look in the book of Acts and you look in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 at least 14 times he should have died that's what I came up with studying that one time he may actually have died because he was stoned in Lystra right and and the enemies who are stoning him they thought he was dead his friends who are watching him be stoned thought he was dead they were standing around him grieving and praying and it's interesting because he wrote about that time in his ministry in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 and he talked about how there was a time where he was caught up to the 3rd heaven and you you study the timing and it was seemingly right about that same time so he may have died and his soul and spirit went to heaven and and usually if your spirit and soul leave your body you're dead right but then what if it comes back in you know doctors talk about being clinically dead right and then people come back alive and so they weren't really dead they were only mostly dead because God says when you're dead and in this case he let Paul he said I went into paradise the 3rd heaven I heard inexpressible things glorious things not even lawful to speak it's so amazing in other words he went through a terrible horrendous experience but it ushered him into paradise to experience paradise of God's love none of us really wants to die or and that's a good desire to not want to die you know we don't mind death it's just the process you know I just want to die in my sleep peaceful you know oh yeah heaven well we don't know how we're gonna go but you know what you can be confident that it'll never separate you from his love but it'll only usher you into an eternity of his love so this wonderful God conquered death this Savior not only died for your sins he rose again and his victory is a gift to all of us because he was God a child was born of a virgin Amy red you know when when angel Gabriel told Mary you're gonna have a son well wait a second I'm not married I am betrothed but I'm not married right well then how can this be how can I how can I have a son well the power of the Almighty will overshadow you and the presence of the Holy Spirit will envelop you so that that holy offering that will be conceived in you will be called the son of the living God let it be done as the Lord says she accepted it a virgin that's amazing and the Lord had to convince Joseph right I mean how's Mary gonna tell him it's not what you think it's not another man it's God that's kind of fishy but the Holy Spirit and the angel in a dream Joseph was dreaming hey that was just conceived in hers of the Holy Spirit okay I won't put her away secretly then because I'm a just man I wanted to do that you know but he she didn't do anything wrong so you don't put her away at all because it's the Holy Spirit okay we're good and God did it he did an incredible thing and it showed in how he lived his life he did constant miracles for people and help them but the ultimate miracle was he was born to die you know Jesus is the only one who's come to this earth that was born to die that's his main purpose to die for the sins of mankind if you don't hear one other thing listen to this Isaiah said in another place Isaiah 5310 it pleased the Lord to crush him God the Father had Jesus crushed why that he might be an offering for your sins and my sins bringing him to grief that he might be an offering read it Isaiah 5310 it's sobering but he did that out of love such love for you and if he did that of out of love to save you if he did not spare his own son but delivered him up for you all how will he not also with him freely give you all things that's amazing you know I know a few of you guys I love you guys but not that much I wouldn't give my son to die but Jesus did there's no one who loves you like Christ if you don't know this God if you don't know this amazing Savior you're missing out on the most important thing in life he's wonderful and he's a counselor he's a counselor and if you abide in his word once you come to know him if you abide in his word you'll know the truth and the truth will set you free over and over again over and over again like we have a lot of things that we pick up baggage like Amy picked up God had to free her God's freed me I used to be really mean and harsh now I'm extremely kind it's all the Lord mean one time I said to my wife I am so unhappy I'm just so unhappy and she said well why I said because of you think of that that stinks that's the worst thing a husband could do say that that's what I felt and it was so great because she she responded well pastor Wayne I just heard a message from a great pastor I think was you last Sunday you said that it's the Lord's job to fulfill our lives you can't fulfill someone's life only God can do it kind of like Amy just said that's what I heard you say I mean if you're not happy isn't that something between you and God I love that that was so good I said huh that's the best message I've heard in a long time and I receive it I am so sorry and from that time I began to realize I've got anger problems you know I've got problems I'm not going to the Lord as much as I should I'm not yielding over certain things and it's been a gigantic help his word began to change areas and that's all that he wants to continually do he will make you so much more of the person God that will please God if you will yield over you won't have to be a jerk of a husband anymore you won't have to be a you know a wife that you know just as frustrated all the time or whatever the issue might be counselor the everlasting father which is literally the father of eternity God created eternity he's the only totally eternal one he's always been from eternity past to eternity future but he created eternity and he created us we fell to sin but now he came and redeemed us on the cross and resurrection and he wants to give you eternal life what is eternal life to know the eternal one to know God to have a relationship with God that's eternal life John 17 3 to know God and Jesus Christ whom God has sent that's eternal life have to have this relationship that is the ultimate it's not just last life that lasts forever it's abundant life it's an abounding relationship of interacting with God and being filled and representing and shining for God it's just a joy not without problems and struggles but then it says the Prince of Peace you already talked about that giving him all your cares all your burdens so let me just end with this he also said the mighty God you thought I forgot that one right I didn't I wanted to save it for last because in Hebrew it's El Gabor it means God of power or God the mighty champion Jesus the Messiah is God if Jehovah's Witness ever talked to you oh he's not God it says here he's the mighty God El Gabor God the mighty champion that is the Messiah that's Jesus you know a good picture of the Messiah is David fighting Goliath the story of David and Goliath is not a story saying you can be David and slay a million Goliaths no it's about one man who slayed the giant for the whole nation that's the story of David and Goliath the greater son of David the eternal King Jesus he came like a David right it's a very humble man no one would have thought but think of David he came to the camp of the Israelites he came to bring them food he gave his brothers food it was great and then he heard this guy screaming out there hey you Israelites big old brawny guy nine foot six he had a spear just profaned he was saying come on fight me I'm the champion of the Philistines send out your champion whoever wins they get to rule your chickens he's every day he's doing this you know and David's going who's that guy his brother's you know he's Philistine he asked around what's what's going on here hey if you defeat Goliath on behalf of Israel you'll get the king's wife plus the throne you'll get all this in here it'll be amazing he goes really see all of this is what Jesus has gotten his bride well David's like what about Saul he shouldn't he go out there and do it no he's scared to so David says okay I'm gonna do it I'm going out there he goes and picks up five smooth stones he takes his his slingshot he's search going he's running he runs he runs towards the guy and he's screaming the guy's telling I'm gonna I'm gonna dismember you and David's running towards him finally he goes phew he throws that thing better than what's that pitchers name Kershaw even better right between the eyes David boom knocks him down he falls down he comes and he grabs Goliath's big huge sword and he chops off his head he picks up the guy's head and he walks around with it showing that victory that's how you get ahead you know the very first prophecy of the Messiah was the seed of the serpent will strike your heel but the seed of the woman will crush his head crush his authority the devil will not be able to have any more authority over you or in your life and the flesh will fall before the power of the spirit that he gives you this is the victory of Jesus that he loves to give to each of us and he wants to give to you this is our Messiah